Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-04-02
FROM ALABAMA.
Terrible Coniiagration at Camp Broom
sedge, Mormons, Peaches and Rattle.
snakes.

SSuSSi HOTH1O1SI TeaCneS ana HaItIes
snakes.
TO the Chronicle.
Since my last letter to the CHoNlcLE,
we have met with big loss. Our
whole party are now rambling wrecks
of poverty" To-day, while busily at
work in the field, a gentleman living
near our encampment, came hurriedly
up, and told us our tents were burned,
with their contents. 1t took us just one
minute to gather our instruments, and
wits together and strike blue line Tor
camp, about mile and half distant.
When we got there, the tears and per-
spiration were having a struggle for the
first place, on some oi the buys faces.
For there, scattered around at intervals
o. ten feet, were the sad remains OF
what hal for months been our happy
and comfortable home. Ia one place
was the ribs OF Sherley's valise, in anoth-
er the fancy work on the tops of Sam
Daly's Sunday shoes; off to the left were
the pockets and facing OF Capt. Neb-
let's dude pants, lying way of in fu-
neral pile to itself were the remnants OF
John Rice's plir OF socks, while the
tail oimy gum coat was frying cheerful
ly in one corner. Our Sable CHIEF, Mr..
Neblett, who presides over the culinary
department. thought when he found
the tents on fire judgment day was at
hand, and saved cup o. salt and bot
tie OF pepper-sauee out OF his tent to save
himself with. When we arrived he
was mounted on goods box, his eyes
looked like base-balls, and he. was fran
tically waving his talisman over his
head. He was with some difficulty
calmed down, and gotten back to terra
firma.
But to come to the serious part OF
my story, and there is very serious
side to it. Nearly every thing we had
in the world was burned to ashes.
Mr.. Sherley and Sam DAILY were the
heaviest losers, each having their en-
tire stock OF clothing destroyed, "Sun-
day suits" and all. Il am heap better
off than they are, for Ididn't have any
new suit. | now believe like the old
negro preacher. BLESSED am he what
haseth nuthin, for yerilyI say unto
you, he shall not have it taken away. y
All our bedding, blankets, pillows, va
lises, plug hats, plate-glass mirrors let
tiers, etc have gone the way of earthly
things, gone back to ashes. One of the
boys-I can't indulge in personalities
when he found that his girls photo was
uninjured sat down and cried for Joy.
Another, not so fortunate, lost bis pict-
ure, and the two made tableau which
reminded us of the old Almanac group
of Before and After" 4
The boys say if any of their good
friends in Clarksville haye any old
clothes they have abandoned, they
wish you would make them up bun
die and send down. ANY kind of
clothes will be received, IS the COM
plete invoice of the camp show nothing
but the top Of one low-quartered shoe,
one celluloid cuff. and four shoe strings.
Last week promised to wri'} you
something about the Mormons who,
raised great stir in the neighborhood.
But have not been able to find out
much about them, and in lieu Of my
own account, / will merely substitute
some poetry, which ! received from the
lips of the author, Mr.. w. A. Wat
kins, an original character, who holds
forth on Indian Camp. Mr.. Watkins
has been sufferer from the Mormons
who proselyted his wife from the
Christian faith, and took her from her
husband. He takes great pleasure in
telling how, at one time, after warning
the disciples OF Young and Smith not to
come on ''his side Of the creek again, .
he got several young men together, and
providing them with hickory limbs,
and jug OF "peanner" they made a
raid on Mormon meeting house, on
the forbidden ground, and caught
Brother Fuller, a noted priest. They
gave him a genteel timbering, and after
it was over, he put on his coat thsnked